Analysis Protective Clothing The rain pants worn by the owner/operator were sewn of tear-resistant material. A person wearing garment of this material is likely to find it more difficult to free it from moving machinery than if it had been made of material less resistant to tearing. In this instance, a cautionary label informing the reader of the tear-resistant nature of the rain pants was printed on a plastic stowage bag which accompanied the garment at the time of purchase and was subsequently discarded. No notice was on the pants themselves to remind the wearer of the characteristics of the material. The Shaft Well Cover The one-piece shaft-well cover extends over most of the length of the fish hold. The removal of the cover to permit the owner/operator access to the stern gland also exposed the rotating shaft coupling located 600mm forward of it. Working Alone in a Confined Space It is common practice for the operators of small fishing vessels to work alone both at sea and in port where maintenance work is done. In this instance, no one monitored the owner/operator while he worked in the hold. Had someone done so, it is probable the rotation of the propeller shaft and coupling could have been stopped sooner and the severity of the owner/operator's injuries lessened. The safety importance of such a 'stand-by' person has been recognized by B.C.'s Workers' Compensation Board.2 Findings Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors The owner/operator was working alone in a confined space where the guard on turning machinery had been removed. The removal of the shaft well cover to work on the stern gland also exposed the rotating shaft coupling which caught and trapped the hem of the owner/operator's rain pants. The severity of the owner/operator's injuries was due to his inability to stop the rotating propeller shaft and to the tear-resistant fabric of the rain pants worn by him. The fabric did not tear when first caught and the owner/operator's leg was drawn into the rotating shaft coupling with it. No one knew that the owner/operator was working alone and had become trapped in the machinery, thus delaying assistance and medical attention. Findings as to Risk The presence of a warning label on the garment could have raised the owner/operator's awareness of the potential danger of wearing tear-resistant clothing while working near moving equipment. No one monitored the owner/operator while he worked in the hold. Had someone done so, it is probable the rotation of the propeller shaft and coupling could have been stopped sooner and the severity of the owner/operator's injuries lessened. Safety Action Action Taken The manufacturer of these tear-resistant garments will henceforth affix a warning label to the garments instead of to the garments' stowage bag. The warning label itself has been re-phrased to caution the wearer not to wear the garments when working near exposed moving machinery. The exact wording of the new label is as follows: ARMOUR FABRIC IS TEAR RESISTANT. DIFFICULT TO TEAR IF HOOKED. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR LONG LINING OR HAND LINING. USE EXTREME CAUTION NEAR EQUIPMENT WITH EXPOSED MOVING PARTS. Transport Canada's Marine Safety Branch and the Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to exchange information intended to improve operational and occupational safety on commercial fishing vessels working in British Columbia. Additionally, as a result of numerous incidents on fishing vessels, TCMS inspectors are carrying out random inspections on this class of vessel (i.e., vessels below 15 GRT).